The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, are going ahead with the planned expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia on September 4, despite the opposition by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, the media team of the former Anambra State governor has said.

Speaking through his media team, Obi said the planned expanded stakeholders’ meeting would be an opportunity for the party members to resolve the crisis in the party. The spokesman of the media team, Dr. Tanko Yunusa told THISDAY that said: “The party cannot be burning and we pretend that all is well. We will tell ourselves the home truth and prepare on how to resolve the crisis.”

Obi had expressed his support for the stakeholders’ meeting summoned by Abia State Governor, Otti. Otti’s initial call for a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) was rebuffed by the National Chairman of the party, Abure, who warned him to stick to governance and stop attempting to interfere in the affairs of the party.

In a recent meeting Abure had with Otti, the Abia State Governor stated his intention to convene a NEC meeting on August 31 to dissolve the executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels on the ground that their tenures had expired.

But Abure objected, saying it was not the position of its governor to consider taking such a decision. However, Otti ignored the objection and rechristened the NEC meeting as a ‘stakeholders’ meeting’. Reacting to the development, Obi, through his media team, insisted that the stakeholders’ meeting was a welcome development. He stressed that such convergence with relevant stakeholders in attendance would be the ideal place to resolve differences and address the crisis rocking the leadership of the party.

He said: “For a long period, we have been seeking solutions to our internal problems. My principal has also waded into discussion with the Labour Party, the TUC, and the NLC, all in an attempt to find a solution to the crisis.“ So, the issue is about finding a solution to the problem. We need everybody on the ground. Nobody should feel superior to others,” he said.

“We need to look at ourselves and start telling the bitter truth with the ultimate aim of finding a solution to the matter. It is in the interest of everybody. As stakeholders, we are being summoned to state our cases openly. That is a solution-driven idea,” he added. (THISDAY)

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